But You Promised
by The Insane Marshmallow
Summary: The year is 1977, deep within London, one by one, school children are going missing, leaving behind small traces of energy which the Doctor reconises as the calling card of an old enemy. Taking base at the school which has the highest record of missing children, the Doctor and River take place to solve the mystery. But who is the child they both seem so interested in? TimeChild!
1. Chapter 1

**But you promised**

**A/N: Hey guys, The Insane Marshmallow here. So, as I say on my profile, I'm a mad Whovian fan who gets very emotional during unhappy endings, like when Amy and Rory left. Cried an ocean on that episode. **

**So this is my first story and I hope I do a good job. This is an 11/River. I dunno if I'm gonna have Amy and Rory in this. Let me know what you think of that. This is a time-child story (Boy or Girl unknown yet) and I've got the basics of a plot in my mind. I shall try to update as soon as I have the chance. All chapters won't be as short as this; this is just to see what you all think. **

**So let's get on with it. **

_Chapter 1 _

Weakened cries sounded within the dim-lit room, bouncing off the walls, stabbing the ears as well as the hearts of the man who held the restless child in his arms. He gently hummed the tune to his favourite Gotchini lullaby, hoping the familiar sound would sooth the child. The man momentarily sighed as he sat down in one of the springy chairs, still cradling the child as if the bundle were made of glass. The small child still whimpered, but the music seemed to have a calming effect. The man stroked the light dusting of dark hair which donned the head of the child. The crying had completely finished now and the man smiled down at the infant who had drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

The man sat and watched the sleeping form which he held in his arms for maybe hours, curious to the facial expressions the now silent child pulled as they floated in the land of dreams. What was dreamed about, he did not know. Hopefully the child would be dreaming happy thoughts, and not of the dreadful absence which was to come.

The familiar sound of the creaking doors reached his ears but he did not turn, knowing who it would be. The man rose from the seat and used his free arm to bring the form of his wife closer. River's thick curls ticked his face, but he loved the feel of her soft curls as she closed up to him. The child in his arms shifted slightly and the man could see the smile which spread across River's face. She placed her hand on the side of the child's face and shushed the fidgeting form. The bundle calmed down again and settled back into sleep. River took her child in her arms as her husband moved around the consol, pushing and pulling various contraptions. For once, the ride was smooth and easy, no bumps or loud noises which would cause the awakening and return to the cries which neither of them wanted their child to do again.

The time rotor eventually stopped, after what felt like an age, and both adults glanced briefly at the door before back at each other. River's grip on her child tightened slightly as she clutched the blankets closer to her chest. The Doctor moved around the consol and rested his hands on her arms, looking her in the eye.

'It's for the best.' He whispered and she nodded, looking down at the sleeping form. The Doctor rubbed her arms before retrieving his jacket and slowly walking down the steps and heading under the raised glass platform. The man retrieved the small copper tin and opened the dented lid and retrieved newly printed documents and the small key threaded on a chain which would make his child invisible to all his enemies. Once upon the platform again, he tucked the documents within the blankets besides the soft fabric made cuddly teddy which was under the grip of the small pink fist.

'Now?' The Doctor asked, eyes focused on the bundle.

'Now.' River nodded and both slowly moved down the steps, each dreading what would take place on the far side of the wooden doors. The Doctor stood forward first and opened the doors, letting the faint evening light enter.

Air of the early August evening was cool and crisp, the sky a mixture of burgundy and pale pink, silent wind drifted lazily through the silent world only broken by the sound of car horns and the distant sound of people heading home for the evening. The wind drifted through their hair as they made their way down the empty street, scattered with identical brown-bricked homes. They reached the correct door and pushed the creaking gate, aware of the rust beneath their hands, and stepped up the short path towards the aged door of the terrace house.

The curtains were partially drawn, but the light of the inside was visible. A young face appeared at the window as soon as the Doctor's fist made contact with the wood of the door. Upon recognising the visitors, the woman drifted away and appeared at the door, a man of a similar age at her side. The doctor turned to River who was captivated by the sight of her child for who knew how long. She placed a small kiss to the child's head before handing the blankets over to the Doctor. The man looked down at the infant, taking in every detail, every curve of the face from the dark hair to the small lips which were in a small smile. The man smiled down and kissed the child himself before slowly stretching his arms out, giving the bundle to the willing and waiting arms of the young woman.

'Any time.' The young man in the doorway said, nodding his head at the infant. Both the Doctor and River nodded themselves before taking one last look at the sleeping form, grasping each other's hands and walking away, both feeling the tug within their hearts as they stepped away.

Once back outside the blue box, their home, they dared a look back at the newly formed family. They could go back any time, but each time was a danger to the child. The door squeaked as per usual as they entered the magnificent ship again, this time one person absent.

**A/N: Just starters, but what do you think? **


	2. Chapter 2

**But You Promised**

**A/N: Wow! So many reviews within the first few moments of this being uploaded! You guys must like this! Thanks guys, so I thought I'd give you all what you deserve, a new chapter. Let's see where this goes. Hope you like it!**

**Happy Reading!**

_Chapter 2_

The gentle hum of the time rotor was the only thing to be heard, apart from the occasional click of the dial which was mounted upon the consol. Both figures stood around the magnificent piece of machinery, arguing over the correct way to pilot the machine.

'You're supposed to use the blue stabilizers, Sweetie.' The woman leaned over, pulling the twin switches, much to the annoyance of her husband.

'How many times, Dr. Song? They're just blue...borings!' The man pushed a nearby button randomly and repeatedly to express his annoyance. He sighed and moved round to the scanner, supposedly proceeding with the environment checks, but instead nervously twitching his scarlet bowtie, very much aware of the eyes that were taking in his every move.

His wife moved round the centre piece and stood by the man's side, gently rubbing his arm.

'Everything will be fine, Sweetie. It's ok to be nervous.'

'Are you nervous?' The man spun round and looked his much loved wife in the eye, taking in how the light of the consol room played delicately across her beautiful features.

'Yes, I am. And terrified.'

'Me too. But excited.' The woman laughed at her husband's tense form which had transformed into a shaky smile. She reached one arm across the consol and pulled the final leaver. The familiar sound which the man loved so much, and annoyed the wife, filled the room before halting and the room gave off a shudder. The man laced his fingers with the cool slim ones of his wife before the two of them both departed to the door.

_1977- _

As the final bell buzzed, cheers and cries of happiness scratched the ears of the young ones as they pushed through the sea of bodies to reach the exit. The proud stone building was soon vacant of all children, only adults remained for a few hours before leaving for home and their tea.

Along a far side cobbled path, a small group of five children began to peddle their bikes through the sharpened wind of September, ignoring the hair that whipped into their eyes. One by one, they departed, till all but three remained. The shortest momentarily abandoned the other two and their scarlet bike before charging into the terrace house, used to the feel of rust beneath cold fingers as the gate swung open, allowing entrance. The paint-peeled front door was taken off the latch as quiet as was possible. The small eleven year old body pushed the door to ever so slightly before setting one foot on the stairs. The radio buzzed through the closed door of the living room, and the faint sound of friendly chatter invaded all ears over the sound of _The Rolling Stones_ record.

Taking the opportunity of sound to move with stealth up the stairs to the shared bedroom. Discarding the new uniform which had itched all day, the body was now dressed in the typical way of a seventies child with the jeans, checked undershirt and striped jumper on top. Once the comfortable trainers which were broken in were laced up, the body began to move back down the stairs, just as quiet as before. Crossing the hall was a more difficult task as the living room door had been opened. Just as the warmed up fingers were resting on the door latch, a voice called out, and the child knew that their cover had been blown.

'Sammy? Come in here, now.' The boy took his fingers away from the latch before sighing and turning around to lead himself back into the typical seventies homely made living room. Expecting a scolding for not saying hello then a talk about another day at his new school, the boy's clad feet dragged across the faded carpet into the room. But instead of the usual gloomy expression, the boys face lit up at the sight of the visitors.

'Uncle John!' The boy cried and charged forward into the waiting form of the skinny man. The man chuckled and lowered to his knees as he embraced the boy as tightly as he could, closing his eyes and savouring the moment, imprinting the time in his memory forever more.

His Uncle always made the hugs last, and Sam did not mind; he did not see his Uncle John a great deal, only four times in his entire life, but the visits had been memorable. Eventually the boy was able to pull free of the man's clutch to look his Uncle in the eye.

'Where's Auntie River?' The boy was only given a nod in response, so on instinct he turned to see his Auntie standing in the doorway, arms open. Sam charged forward into the woman's waiting arms, only to be devoured again by another hungry hug. River herself lowered to her knees and buried her face in her son's soft brown hair.

'God look how big you've got!' She cried as she rocked back and forth with the child in her arms.

'I'm eleven now!' The boy said proudly when River held him at arm's length. She smiled and studied his boyish features, he had taken after his father a great deal, but luckily had inherited her chin and storm grey eyes.

'Come here!' She pulled the boy's slight form back towards her and hugged him tight again, not wanting to let go.

Three years. Three years of her child's life she had missed out on again, not being there for him. It was for the best but each time she thought too hard on the moments she missed out on she was near a breakdown. The title of Auntie also pained her, knowing she was never going to be Mum to him, nor was the Doctor going to be Dad, just Uncle John. But she hid those thoughts away and smiled back at the boy once she managed to release him.

'Have you been a good boy?' Sam nodded eagerly as he smiled, and River smiled back, pushing his dark locks from his face. His hair had grown into a similar style to his fathers and River was just glad he was not up to wearing bowties. The Doctor came up from behind and rested a hand on Sam's shoulder.

'We're only here for a day, Sam.' The boys face dropped. 'But the whole day we're gonna stick together, ok?' The Doctor kneeled down and smiled at the boy.

'Can't you stay longer Uncle John? You both come less each time.' River rubbed his back before rising up besides her husband.

'Tell you what; shall we go to the pictures?' Sam's droopy expression shifted into wonder and then bridged into a smile.

'Yeah! I'll go tell my friends I'm going out.' Sam charged from the room and the front door slammed shut behind him. The Doctor strode back over to the sofa and picked up the cup of tea he had been drinking previously.

'The less time you spend the more he'll begin to wonder why.' During the emotional reunion, the Doctor and River had both forgotten the presence of Joanne Muldovon who was perched on the edge of her living room sofa, watching the reunion between a child and his parents.

'Maybe the less we come the safer he'll be. Him not knowing who he really is keeps him safe but there's always a slight chance.'

'He'd wonder where you'd both gone to. He's too clever for his age and his imagination will stir up all sorts of fantasies on why you never came back. Beside,' Mrs. Muldovon said drinking the last of her own tea. 'You wouldn't be able to stay away forever, either of you.' It was a true fact, and they both knew it. Mrs. Muldovon offered another cup of tea and a plate of biscuit before they left and they both thanked her as she went off to pour the drinks. When she came back, she scanned the living room and her face etched itself into a frown.

'Where's he gone to now?' Sam should have come back through the living room door straight away, jumping up and down with excitement, but had not returned.

'I'll go find him.' The Doctor placed his cup down and left the house into the glow of the late afternoon sun lit street. Sam was standing on the far side of the faded road, back to the Doctor, besides a friend. Both boys were just looking down at a deserted bike which gleamed in the soft light.

'Sam? Sammy!' The Doctor jogged across the road and placed a hand on the boys shoulder. 'What's wrong?' Sam looked back to his friend who was atop his own bike, a look of pure bewilderment and disbelief on his face, matching Sam.

'He's gone.' Sam whispered, looking back down at the bike. The Doctor frowned and lowered down next to his son.

'Who's gone Sam?'

'Bobby.' His friend gave the answer. 'He was here a minute ago, and then he just, wasn't.' The Doctor raised his eyebrow but pulled out his trusted sonic and scanned the bike. When the results blipped, the Doctor's face dropped. He began sniffing the air, and when he smelt what he feared, he turned to Sam's friend.

'You should head home. Bobby probably just ran off for some reason. Nothing to worry about, the Doctor will fix it! Off home, do human-y stuff, watch telly, take your mind off it.' The man's voice was wavering, heading higher in pitch, earning strange looks from both boys, but he said goodbye to Sam and peddled off down the street. The Doctor gripped Sam's shoulders and steered him away from the fallen bike, and leading the confused boy back into the house.

Before they reached the front door, The Doctor lowered to his knees and looked his son in the eye.

'Sam, you trust me, right?'

'Yeah.' The boy answered without hesitation, earning a smile from the older man.

'Then you have to promise me that you'll stay safe when I'm not here.'

'Uncle John, you say the same thing every time you come here.' The boy giggled as if he believed his uncle forgot that he said the same lecture on every visit. The Doctor smiled down at the boy before ruffling his hair and stepping back inside the house.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had taken a while, but the three finally left the house and headed down the street towards the bus stop.

'...Teleport, defiantly. And I can smell it in the air. They're here, River.' Before leaving, the Doctor had spoken to River in hushed tones in the hallway, away from Sam's prying ears. At the mention of what had happened, River had panicked and just about frogmarched to the TARDIS to retrieve her blaster, but the Doctor had held her back, commenting on how it would be no use as they were not a 100% certain. The three waited at the bus stop, and when the battered vehicle had arrived, the Doctor lost track of the dangers and began acting like he'd never seen a bus before. Even Sam seemed excited by the overly large transport and rushed to the top deck to snag the front seat. The Doctor raced up the steps after the boy, both laughing madly as they mock-wrestled for the seat. River rolled her eyes and smiled at the childish behaviour of the two.

They reached the centre of town just the sun began to creep into the edges of the distant horizon. More and more people had arrived in town to spend the Wednesday out with friends and family. River held Sam's hand in her own, ignoring the protests the boy made with his age as she wanted to be able to experience a normal moment, but the dark edges of the truth her husband had told her still crawled along the edges of her mind, no matter how hard she tried to divert her thoughts. She clutched her son's hand tighter and when the boy asked if she was scared for some reason, she simply smiled at the boy and didn't speak. He'd gained his father's instincts, and that just made River love her son even more. There was a lot more to know about him and every new piece of information she savoured.

They reached the entrance to the cinema and the moment they stepped through the doors, Sam charged off to the viewing posters. Both River and the Doctor smiled at the sight of their son charging around like a normal eleven year old, making them feel like the proudest parents. Within seconds Sam charged back to the waiting couple.

'Can we watch _Star Wars?_! Please please please!' The boy was jumping up and down crazily and the Doctor strode over to the front desk and showed them a flash of his psychic paper, allowing them free admittance and drinks. The tree entered the dimly lit room and sat down. All the way through the Doctor rambled on about how he met George Lucas and gave him the inspiration by accident when a manic yeti attacked them, giving him the inspiration for Chewbacca. The boy believed it to be all fiction but River had the strangest idea that it probably did happen at one point.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When the lights flickered into life during the credits, the Doctor unearthed himself from empty popcorn buckets and Pepsi bottles. They stood to leave the aisle, but saw Sam had drifted off into a slumber. They both grinned to one another as the Doctor scooped the boy up into his skinny arms and carried the softly snoring child out of the cinema complex. They left the stuffy entrance to be welcomed with the blissfully cool night's air. They headed down several lively streets to where the bus stand was. A small group of tourists and a small family were already waiting.

The time they spent standing and waiting, both adults took in every inch of their sons face as they had all those years ago. They wouldn't even get to say a proper goodbye as they did not wish to wake him to witness them hold back tears.

'Ryan?' A frantic voice cried out from behind. Everyone at the bus stop turned to where the small family had been standing at the back. A young mother was frantically calling her sons name. River remembered the blonde boy who had been besides his mother moments before, but now had vanished. In the night's air, she could swear she could smell a tangent metal, strongly too. She glanced over to her husband who shared her equally worried look at the possibilities of the encounter with an old friend.

**A/N: Worth continuing? Let me know x **


	3. Chapter 3

**But You Promised**

**A/N: OH. MY. GOD! Guys, I am so sorry for the wait on this next chapter. I have had the worst case of writers block in the known universe. I hope none of you have lost interest. I've got a good way on this. If any of you have any suggestions then let me know. Everything helps. **

**Let's rock**

_Chapter 3_

_1977- _

Weak September light peaked through the curtains of the box room. Birds fluttered past the window, casting shadows over the tacky painted walls. Beneath the mass of sheets and patchwork quilt, a small puzzled face appeared from beneath. Sam's normally floppy brown hair was so messy the young boy resembled a crazed scientist. Sam groaned and polled over inside the warmth of his bed. All the popcorn, chocolate and Pepsi from the cinema had mixed up in his stomach making him a little sick, but a smile played on his face as he remembered the night before. His Uncle John and Aunty River always spoiled him rotten whenever they came. His thoughts then became sad as he realised he never got to say goodbye to them. They would disappear for years on end. The last time he had seen them he had just turned eight. So who knows how long it would be until he saw them again. He might have to wait until he was twenty five or something.

The knock on his door may have been a light tapping, but Sam was still half asleep so the noise made him jump a little.

'Sam? Come on you lazy boy, out of bed. You'll be late for school.' His mother's voice sounded cranky this morning and Sam thought it best not to make her worse. The eleven year old boy sighed as he twisted within his bed sheets. He climbed out of bed, and a smile returned to his face as he saw what was on his bedside table besides his glass of water. There was a small toy model of an X-Wing fighter from the movie he had seen last night. Beside it was a small folded up note. He recognised his Uncle's scrawny handwriting.

'_We may see you sooner than you think, Sammy. Hope you enjoy the toy, River thought you may be too old for toys but I thought you'd like it. It's pretty cool.'_

Sam studied the note, but there was no indication to where or when he would see his Uncle John and Aunty River again.

'Sammy?' The knocking returned, but more vigorously on the wood of the bedroom door. 'You had better be up young man.'

'I'm up.' He replied, he happiness in his voice clear as he picked up the toy X-Wing and twirled it around in his hands. What did the note mean? Sam thought hard about it as he left his room and headed downstairs in his pyjamas for breakfast. His family was already there. His mother was handing out a slice of toast to his older sister Maggie, who looked venomous this morning. His father was reading his paper, dressed in his brown suit and boots, a typical seventies car dealer, ready to head out to the car sales office where he worked. Sam sat at the table and took the toast his mother offered him.

'I'll see you later, I've got to hurry, bus is never the same bloody time.' Dave Muldovon folded his paper and left the table. He kissed his wife and ruffled Sam's and Maggie's heads before dashing from the house. As the rest of the family sat at the table in silence, Sam played with the toy X-Wing under the table. But his sister had eagle eyes. Maggie's hand snapped out of nowhere and snatched the toy from Sam's hand.

'Hey! Give me that back!' Sam stood up on his chair to reach the toy which his fourteen year old sister was holding high above her head.

'Sam! Get off that chair now! Before you break your neck!' But Sam didn't listen to his mother; he continued to try to rescue his toy.

'Why do you still play with toys?' Maggie scoffed as she mimicked the toy flying. 'You're eleven years old! Grow up!'

Sam pounced from his chair in a daring attempt, but landed on the dark floral carpet, shaking the ornaments on the cabinet. He quickly stood tall and tried to grab it.

'Give it here! Uncle John gave me that!' Maggie scowled, but dropped the toy on the carpet, which was quickly retrieved by Sam who dashed out of the room and up the stairs. Before reaching the landing, he paused on the last few steps and peered in the room, hoping to catch Maggie's eye and pull a face. But all he saw was Maggie sit back at the table and start a conversation with their mother.

'I don't know why you let them anywhere near him, one day they'll take him away from us.' Maggie grimaced and resumed eating her toast. His mother's voice was tense, as if she were hiding away what she really meant.

'They have a right to see him. They wouldn't take him away. They can't.' Sam pulled a face. What were they talking about? Maggie was just jealous because Uncle John and Aunty River never took her anywhere. Maggie had tried to come long once, he could remember, when he was small, only five.

Uncle John had suggested the park and eight year old Maggie had stamped her foot and said she wanted to go too, but their mother wouldn't let her for some reason. Today, Sam was grateful; he liked it when it was just him, Aunty River and Uncle John.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

By half eight, both Maggie and Sam were washed and dressed in their school uniform. Once certain they were ready, Joanne Muldovon ushered her children out of the house so she could get ready for work herself. But before she had closed the door, Joanne had called to Maggie.

'Walk to school with him, Mags. I don't want you leaving him to find his own way; he's only been there a week.' With that Joanne closed the door before Sam could protest that he could walk to school by himself. Maggie scowled but told Sam to hurry up. The pair walked in silence. Once they reached the end of Houston road, Maggie told Sam to stay back a few steps as she met up with her friends. The group of giggling girls walked fast as they headed towards the school building. Half way there, Sam spotted his friend Nick. He shouted and Nick dashed over, his satchel bouncing off his shorts.

'Where's Bobby?' He asked as they struggled against the thicker crowds of students heading to school.

'Didn't you hear?' Nick said. 'His mum called the police last night. Apparently he never went home. Never turned up.' That was strange. Bobby didn't run off like that, he hated being on his own. The two boys discussed where their friend could be until they reached their classroom and the teacher strolled in and demanded quiet.

Mr. Lancaster was a middle-aged man who wore a tweed jacket identical to Sam's Uncle John, but Mr. Lancaster was as far from Uncle John as you can get. Instead of being kind, the man would scream at you for the slightest thing. That's what gave the man the terrifying atmosphere. For their first lesson, maths, Mr. Lancaster barked at them randomly to recite various different times tables. Nick had been forced to recite the seven times table, and many others had struggled.

'Muldovon!' Mr. Lancaster rounded on Sam faster than a pinwheel. Sam sat bolt right straight, hoping the teacher would not hurl criticism and abuse.

'Nine times table, now!' Sam stood up out of his seat and thought for a moment.

'Nine, eighteen, twenty-seven, thirty-six, forty-five, fifty-four, sixty-three, seventy-two, eight-one, ninety. Sir.' Sam felt proud of himself, but Mr. Lancaster wasn't proud. He deliberately picked students who he believed to do it wrong so _he _seemed right. Getting every number correct caused Sam to show the teacher up.

The man strolled around Sam's desk until he was looking down his nose at the dark haired boy. Sam looked up at the man, he stare cool. The rest of the class watched with baited breath. Sam was small for eleven years of age, so Mr. Lancaster loomed over him. Mr. Lancaster couldn't really do anything, for Sam had done what he had told him too. But there was one thing that got the teachers attention and an opportunity to embarrass the boy. Clouds outside the window shifted, allowing some sunlight to stream into the room. The light sparkled and reflected off a chain around Sam's neck. The teacher's hand snapped out and grasped the chain, on which was one simple key, and not a very common looking one at that.

'What's this Muldovon? You like wearing jewellery like a girl?' There was nothing neither girlish nor masculine about the key around Sam's neck, but Mr. Lancaster was looking for any opportunity, no matter how weak it was. The man gave a hard tug and the chain snapped, pulling the metal away from Sam's skin. A sickening coldness washed over him and Sam didn't like it. The teacher crossed to his desk and threw the key and chain into his desk draw.

'You'll stay behind tonight and give me lines, and if I catch you wearing anything like that again and I'll box your ears.' Sam sat down back at his desk and never felt more vulnerable in his life. He had always worn that key, for as long as he could remember. Now he felt strange without it on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lunch came at the ring of a bell and the cheers of children as they rushed outside and into the canteen.

Sam and Nick sat against the fence, munching their sandwiches. Sam hadn't been the same since maths without his key and really wanted it back.

'Who cares it's just a key. I don't know why you even bother with it.' Nick had stated between mouthfuls. The two boys then sat in silence until both their heads were met with long sharp nails.

'What are you doing out there?' Sam asked in awe. His sister Maggie, her friend Karen (Nick's older sister) and a few of their friends were on the other side of the fence.

'We're going out at lunch, whilst you losers have to sit in there. Bye.' The girls laughed and bounced off. Sam grumbled and threw his sandwich on the floor. Now he really was depressed.

'Not fair. They can go out for their lunch and we have to stay here.' Nick nodded but didn't speak. He continued with his food. Sam stood up and wandered over to the edge of the fence in the far corner, where there was a large gap in the links.

'What are you doing?' Nick asked as his friend squeezed out.

'Come on,' Sam said, smiling. 'Where's your sense of adventure?' Nick looked sceptical but ran through the gap as well. The two boys ran down the road, hoping that they hadn't been seen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam walked through the woodland, banishing a large stick. Nick followed two steps behind, warily looking around in case Mr. Lancaster or any other unfavourable teachers lurked from behind the trees.

'Come on, Sam. We should head back.' But Sam continued through the thicket of trees and long dead branches on the ground as they ventured uphill.

'Sam! I'm serious!' But Sam's attention was drawn to something else. He ran over to the box and looked at the tower of blue. Nick jogged over and pulled a puzzled face at it.

'It's police box. What's it doing out in the middle of nowhere?' Nick asked as Sam circled it and placed his hand on the woodwork. The box was alive. He could feel it. It was vibrating. He gripped the handles but it wouldn't open. He placed his ear to it and could hear voices inside. He knocked on the door and he heard a violent smash inside. Footsteps inside the box seemed to venture towards him. Sam was suddenly over come with fear and turned on the spot.

'Run!' He shouted at Nick and the two boys ran as fast as they could, back down the slope. The continued to run for what seemed ages, and only stopped when they were on the perimeter of the woodland.

'What's that?' Nick said, between gasps of breath. He was pointing to a stone statue besides a tree. It was an angel. Its hands were covering its face. Nick ventured towards it whilst Sam looked back; hoping whoever was inside the police box wasn't chasing them.

'Sam!' Nick cried. Sam turned and saw Nick pinned up against the tree. The statue had moved! It wasn't possible. Nick was up against the tree, pinned by the neck by the statue. He was crying.

Sam looked back for help, or someone to jump out and announce the joke.

But when he looked back, Nick was gone. The statue was still there, hand outstretched, but this time it was facing him. Sam panicked and shouted out for Nick or anyone. He turned and ran from the statue. It was creepy. He hoped this was just Nick playing some sort of joke on him. He continued to run as fast as he could, but he cried out when he snagged a branch and fell over. He quickly got to his feet, but when he turned around, the angel was right in front of him.

He tried to run, but he noticed the statue had a tight grip on his wrist. He tugged and tugged, but the statue wouldn't loosen its grip. He cried out as loud as he could, not daring to take his eyes of the statute, too afraid to even blink.

'Sam!' A voice in the distance cried, Sam wanted to crane his head and see who it was, but he was too afraid to take his sight off the angel.

'Sam! Sam! Don't blink! Whatever you do, Sam! Don't blink.' The voice sounded like Uncle John.

'Uncle John! Help me! Uncle John! What is it?!' He could hear pounding footsteps, but Sam feared they wouldn't reach him in time as his eyes were beginning to sting and he wanted to, no he _needed_ to blink. And that's what he did.

He blinked.

**Oohh! Cliff-hanger! What will happen next? Review me with your suggestions and opinions. I promise the next chapter will come faster than this one did! **


	4. Chapter 4

**But You Promised**

**A/N: Hey hey bet you guys are suffering in silence as you want to know what happens to Sam. Does the Doctor reach him in time? Or is it too late? Let's find out shall we. **

**Let's roll**

_Chapter 4 _

_1977-_

He had blinked. He had told not to by Uncle John. His instincts had also told him not to. But he had. He had blinked, but now was too scared to re-open his eyes. He remained in the dark, fearing what was on the other side of his eyelids, terrified of the unknown.

It didn't make sense. Nick had disappeared. But where to? Or was this one of his tricks to teach Sam to listen to him when he said they should head back. If this was one of Nick's tricks then Sam would start listening to him. But deep in the pit of his stomach, he knew Nick was not capable of scaring him this much.

His instincts were telling him somebody was close by. He could sense them – they were right next to his left arm. He held his eyes shut more. There was a strange high pitched noise reaching his ears, causing them to prick at the new sound. He knew he would have to open his eyes sooner or later.

He slowly opened his eyes, nearly squeezing them shut again in fear upon realising what was in front of him. The stone grey face of the statue was right in front of him, staring at him, eyes blank, but its face was smiling. The smile unnerved him and he nearly cried out and shut his eyes.

Why hadn't he disappeared as well, just as Nick? It hadn't gotten rid of him like his friend, in fact, it was staring at him. It may have been frozen, but it was still staring at him, he could feel it. It was staring at him like he was some magical new toy, something _new_. Something the angel thought wasn't possible, but had happened, like all the Christmases of a lifetime at one time.

The person Sam had sensed to his left was Uncle John. The man looked furious. Sam had never seen his Uncle look that terrifying before in his life. But his stare of anger wasn't fixed on Sam; it was fixed on the stone angel. The strange high pitched noise was coming from a device in Sam's Uncle's hand. He recognised it. Uncle John had used it on his toy train when he was really small. At that age, you wouldn't expect a child to remember anything, but Sam remembered the device making his toy train drive around in circles on the track, much to his delight.

But this time, Uncle John wasn't using it on a toy, he was waving it slowly up and down in front of the statue, then focusing it on the grip the statue had around Sam's neck. The device never worked, so the man turned away from the statue and for a fleeting second, Sam thought he'd been abandoned, but was reassured when his Uncle returned with a large heavy rock in his hands.

'Hold still Sammy.' He said as he hurled the rock at the stone wrist, stone breaking stone. From the wrist, the hand dropped to the grassy banking, rolling away from the scene. Sam remained staring at the statue, but Uncle John picked him up around the middle and turned him away from the statue.

'You took the Pond's from me, but you're _never_ getting him.' Sam didn't know who the Pond's were, but he felt like he should. Uncle John had spoken with so much hatred and sorrow that Sam, despite everything, burst into tears. His Uncle shifted him in his arms and hugged him as he walked off from the statue.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor's pace increased as he ran as far from the statue as he could. It wouldn't be chasing him, it would be too angry with the loss of an arm**, **but it would spread the message of Sam's existence soon enough, and then they would know.

In his arms, Sam's tears subsided and the boy only whimpered softly at the scare he had received. Once in an open clearing of grass, the Doctor placed his son on to his school-shoed feet. The boy shivered despite the flush upon his face and sweat which dripped slowly down his forehead, stringing his dark hair together in sweat-soaked strands. The Doctor's hands then pulled open the top button of the school shirt Sam wore. He saw what he was dreading.

It was missing.

All that remained of the key's presence was a small pink tint to Sam's skin where his clothing had pushed the metal up against his skin.

'Sam, where's your key?' His double heart-beat had increased in speed as his thoughts drifted to the one thing he had always dreaded. He leaned forward and gripped the boy's shoulders. 'Sam, tell me.'

Sam's answer came out in small sharp breaths. 'My maths teacher. He took it. He hates my guts.' The Doctor could see the effect of the key's removal had on Sam. His eyes betrayed his fear and the swirling sickness in his stomach – the fear of being exposed to the universe for the first time in his life.

The Doctor's own stomach twisted in violent fear. With Sam exposed, many species whom he had battled would be out for the boy's blood in revenge.

'Come on,' He held out his hand, intending to take him back to the TARDIS where he hadn't been since he was a baby, hoping to keep him safe. But Sam shocked the man by running off in the opposite direction, towards the main city of London. The Doctor's skinny legs charged after the boy.

'Sam! No! Where are you going! It's not safe!' The boy was in complete danger. One sweep of the woodland told the Doctor the angel had retreated, but that wasn't a good thing if it intended to tell others of their location.

'I'm getting my key back!' Sam had never known the true purpose of the key's use, but it's the one thing he had his entire life and he wasn't prepared to give it up. As soon as Mr. Lancaster had taken it bad things had happened to him, so he knew his key was important.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

His uniform was tearing from all the thorns and branches that whipped him as his small feet pounded against the ground. More than one he tripped over and scraped the skin from his knees but he never stopped. He could hear Uncle John running not too far off, calling out for him to stop, but he didn't.

Sam reached a high up banking and skidded down the grass, coating his uniform which he knew his mother would kill him for but that was far from the front of his mind. Sam's feet hit the pavement besides the busy main road and he sprinted with all his power down the concrete floor.

Uncle John was closing in, intending to stop him but Sam dodged his hand as he ran into the road. The sound of car horns were deafening as they came to an angry halt and the drivers hurled abuse. Sam shot past the cars, Uncle John shouting apologies as he chased after the boy.

Sam reached the next pavement alive, much to the Doctor's relief, and charged up the steps leading up to Greybridge Senior School. Despite all the time spent in the woodland with the stone angel, the bell signalling the end of lunch had not yet rung, so many students dressed in identical grey school uniforms, except theirs were neat and intact. Sam hadn't taken the official path out of the woodland; instead he had taken the first thing that remotely resembled an exit, causing his tie to be in shreds and a gaping hole in his thin school jumper.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maggie Muldovon saw her brother run past in speed through the school courtyard, heading towards the nearest entrance and assumed that he was either chasing a friend or the other way around.

At least that was what she believed until she saw the man her brother called 'Uncle John' take up the rear. She knew the man's true relationship to Sam after eavesdropping her parent's conversation, who then told her to stay silent. Every time the man came Maggie's hatred for the man increased as she saw the disappointment Sam went through when he and Sam's true mother left for years on end.

The man had left Sam last night and said nothing to them; the pair of them had just left after putting Sam to bed. But now he turned up again so soon and Maggie was suspicious. Her mother and father got agitated and scared when Sam's real parents came around to see their son and she hated seeing them like that. They all liked to believe Sam was theirs, not somebody else's.

She abandoned her friends (Who were too busy chatting to notice her disappearance) and followed Sam and the Doctor through the double doors.

Once in the corridor, she believed to have missed them and intended to re-join her friends when she heard the sound of a door banging shut. She glanced to her right and saw the doors heading for the math's stairs wobble and a flash of tweed. She sprinted down the corridor and heaved the door open.

Maggie jogged up the two sets of stairs and reached the math's corridor. She hid behind a set of lockers as she watched Sam try and fail to open the locked door to Mr. Lancaster's room. Why, she didn't know. She watched in silence as her brother's 'Uncle' caught up with him and grab his shoulders. What he was saying she couldn't hear, but by the way Sam cried out and pushed the man away, Maggie knew something bad had happened.

Had the man told Sam the truth? Was he trying to take her brother away? Well he wasn't. Maggie was about to charge down there and give the man a piece of her mind when the man pulled a small device out of his jacket pocket and aimed it at the door. The door magically unlocked and the pair walked into the deserted classroom. Maggie had seen that device before and she didn't know where, but she didn't like it.

She left her hiding place between the lockers and tiptoed down the corridor, sticking her head around the classroom door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As soon as the classroom door opened, Sam burst into the room and headed towards the teachers desk in the corner. The Doctor watched as his son examined the desk for his prize. There was a slight tingling sensation on the back of his neck and the Doctor was certain someone was watching him but paid the feeling no attention as he saw Sam struggled with a locked draw.

The Timelord strode over and unlocked the draw with the sonic and knew the longer they were here the more danger Sam was in, but the boy refused to go anywhere without the key. It would be useless now, his scent was out there, but Sam had gained part of his mother's stubbornness and was reluctant to leave it.

Sam gave out a cry of joy as he fished out the key, hanging from its chain, identical to the day when the Doctor had placed it around his baby son's neck to keep him hidden and safe. He had promised his son that day that he would have a normal life, no aliens, no killing, no time-travel. The Timelord felt his hearts twist and a tear in his left eye, but he ignored it and fastened the chain around his son's neck, securing the now useless piece. Once it was done, the man grabbed the boy's shoulders.

'Sam. We have to go. I'm sorry, but you can't go back.'

'What do you mean?' Sam was confused, what did his Uncle mean?

'You can't go home, Sam. I'm sorry. But you can never go home. You've got to come with me.'

'What do you mean I can't go home? What about mum? Dad? And Maggie?'

'I'm sorry, Sammy. I'm sorry. But you're in danger here now.' Sam shook his head and stepped back from his Uncle. The Timelord held his son's hand and tried to lead him away but the boy wouldn't budge.

'Sam, you have to trust me. It's not safe for you anymore.' Just as Sam was about to question the man's statement, the side of the wall exploded and the Doctor grabbed the boy around the middle and threw him on the floor, protecting him from the flying debris.

Clouds of dust obscured their vision of the classroom, but the Doctor could quite clearly see a large silhouette of a being in a familiar shape make their way over to him and Sam. He had the feeling they would be behind the disappearances, but he had hoped he was wrong.

The doctor pulled himself to his feet, grabbed Sam by his school jumper and half carried half dragged his son away from the now growing number of beings. He realised the dust muddled his vision and was now trapped as far from the classroom door as you could get. The Doctor was backed into a corner.

He made sure Sam was behind him as he stood between the being and his son.

Sam was coughing violently from the thick air of dust, but the sound didn't block out the sounds of the chant.

'Sontar Ha!'

The chant was the last thing the Timelord heard before his vision evaporated completely.

**A/N: Another cliffhanger! I know, I am totally evil for that :) well, now you know who the other enemy is. What shall happen next time? Review any suggestions you may have or just your opinion on this chapter. Thanks!**


End file.
